Thursday Activity And Some Constructive Rambling

Many blogs have categories to classify various posts. (Ha! Ha! Mine isn't that fancy!) Lisa's comes to mind as she has a category called "Philosophizing."

That's what this post is all about -- "Philosophizing" -- so you can't say that you haven't been forewarned. Go to the next blog or forever hold your peace. :)

After Sunday's Mardi Gras Marathon, I was pretty sore but nothing that I recall being worse than any other long distance run. Tuesday evening, I went to Bally's in The Woodlands for my usual work on the elliptical machine -- level 16, random, 50 minutes, 4.46 miles (in essence, hard). I felt pretty good despite starting to deal with the aspects of a cold (stuffed-up nose).

Since Monday evening, I've been downing an Advil Cold and Sinus according to the directed schedule at the earliest intervals possible. I've had times where I felt better than others; however, I'll be in the doctor's office tomorrow morning. (And, yes, don't even think that I'm going to throw in the towel on Saturday!)

The constant use of the product left me a little winded at times today as I ran the 6.7-mile trail at Huntsville State Park this afternoon. I got started at about 4:10 p.m. and as I headed out the Chinquapin Trail towards the back perimeter road that makes up part of the Rocky Raccoon Trail, I slowed down in places just a couple of weeks ago that I could have run the whole way through without a problem.

I think if I had it to do over again, I would have let the registration cap of the Surfside Beach Marathon pass for this weekend and done the Freescale Austin Marathon next Sunday. Now I'll probably pass on running the Mardi Gras Beach Run 10K in Galveston, an event that I really enjoy, and rest up for the ConocoPhillips Rodeo Run 10K in two weekends. That's the thought now and who knows, it could change!

Running the trails this afternoon, with the sometimes different stride and foot strikes necessary, some sore muscles that I didn't realize were still sore were revealed. As I ran, I wondered to myself, "How do these folks do marathons on back-to-back days?" If I hadn't been a little dehydrated, cardio-wise I would have been absolutely fine. I think I'm the best there that I've ever been.

I've done half marathons on back-to-back days and you have to let it all hang out for the first one and then go easy on the second one. I don't know if it is the same with marathons or you just try to get through both of them easy. (Again, I believe that the majority of runners who do marathons on back-to-back days are those attempting to do a marathon in all 50 states.)

I was targeting on covering the 6.7-mile trail in about 11 minutes a mile until I took a wrong turn less than a mile for the Nature Interpretative Center. Instead of going straight past an opening where there were telephone polls running through, I turned right and ended up heading west (as I could see the sun in that direction). I wasn't completely lost yet; however, after going past what I learned to be was the Park Ranger's residence, I met him and his wife on the service road coming into their place and got directions back where I needed to go. (So I ran 6.7 miles plus another mile or so in 1:32:51.)

It was the first time that I ran those trails without Ken Johnson, the president of the Seven Hills Running Club. I thought that some other members of the Club were going to be there at 4 p.m. I went on into the park by myself, waited until 4:10 p.m. and then hit the trails.

Right before where I made the wrong turn, I saw Melissa Broussard coming the other way. I like Melissa. She's lost a lot of weight (more than me) and is one of those individuals that is in a group of people that push me to do as well as I can. (I hated to have her pass me in the last 2 miles of the Rocky Raccoon 25K last October.) She's running the East Texas Ultra Trailrunners 25K in Tyler on Saturday and then doing the Freescale Austin Marathon next Sunday. (Go Melissa! By the way, why do I have all of these competitive yet friendly relationships with women -- Melissa, Debbie Tripp, Cassie, Whitney LaRocca and so on? Wait ... don't answer that!)

After becoming lost and getting back on the right path, I saw Marisa Padilla and Hans Jaegar go by and I finished back at the Interpretative Center just behind them.

So I'll relax tomorrow here at the house, do my best to get a good night's sleep tonight and tomorrow and get ready for what may prove to be a very chilling experience Saturday morning at Surfside Beach. (And, sorry, I won't be audio blogging this one!)